ToolGen licenses CRISPR gene editor to Korean startup for disease-resistant poultry and egg-made biologics

ToolGen, a Korean gene-editing company known for CRISPR patents, said Thursday it licensed its CRISPR-Cas9 system, a DNA “cut and paste” tool, to Avinnogen, a Seoul National University spinout, to speed two efforts: breeding poultry that resist disease and producing therapeutic proteins in eggs, using eggs as low-cost bioreactors.

Avinnogen will plug the editor into an avian germline platform, where changes are introduced in reproductive cells such as sperm or egg precursors so the edits are inherited by future flocks. 

The company received rights to develop and commercialize gene-edited bird lines using ToolGen’s CRISPR-Cas9.

ToolGen said it expects an upfront payment and royalties on sales. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 2022, Avinnogen is building a platform that edits DNA in avian germ cells, hatches the first edited “founder” birds, and breeds stable lines that either resist specific pathogens or lay eggs containing target proteins for purification.

Near-term plans include validating CRISPR edits in avian cells, co-developing edited breeds, building a yolk-based protein production platform, and preparing for global regulatory and market entry.

ToolGen says it is the only company in Korea with foundational CRISPR-Cas9 patents and that it has secured 30 related patents across 10 major countries, including the U.S., Europe and Japan, along with more than 20 prior technology-transfer deals with companies such as Monsanto and Thermo Fisher.